Defending champion Peterhansel storms to Dakar Rally lead
Baku, January 10, AZERTAC
France's defending champion Stephane Peterhansel took the lead on the third day of the Dakar Rally in southern Peru as he aims to win the off-road race for a record 14th time, according to Xinhua.
Peterhansel finished the 296 kilometers stage from Pisco to the port of San Juan de Marcona in three hours 13 minutes and 13 seconds in his Peugeot, 4:05 behind Toyota's Nasser Al-Attiyah. Spain's Carlos Sainz was third.
Overnight leader Cyril Despres, who was fourth in Tuesday's stage, was second in the overall standings, 3:11 behind his compatriot and teammate Peterhansel. Al-Attiyah was third, almost eight minutes in arrears.
Two-time Dakar champion Nani Roma became one of the first casualties of the event when he suffered head and neck injuries after flipping his Mini less than a kilometer from the finish line.
The Spaniard was airlifted to hospital with his participation in the event almost certainly over. His co-driver Alex Haro was largely unscathed but also underwent precautionary medical checks.
In the motorcycle category, KTM's defending champion Sam Sunderland regained the overall lead with his second stage win in three days. The Briton led Honda's Kevin Benavides in the standings by 4:48.
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